Guide - 542

Desserts, Cakes, Bakery • $$ • 305.361.3237

Find mamey sapote: Depending on the variety – Pantin and Magana are widely grown – you can find ripe mamey sapote year-round in South Florida. Look for fruits in Hispanic grocery stores and fruit stands, like Robert Is Here.

FRUITS ONLY
Every mango season, Richard Campbell and his family sell prize cultivars from their Redland mango orchard.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Wide variety of special mango cultivars, dehydrated mango, local honey, eggs and other backyard fruits.
WHERE TO BUY: At their house during mango season, generally May through early July
SHIPPING/DELIVERY: Limited shipping available.
MORE INFO: Check their Facebook page.

Mango Men Homestead at a Glance

Farmers: Daniel, Ian, Thiago, Richard and Cecilia Campbell
Where they’re located: Homestead
Website:  Facebook: MangoMenHomestead
What they grow: Fresh mangos and products; honey; passionfruit; chicken eggs
Where they sell: On the farm, mail
CSA: No

FRUITS ONLY
Every week, the Miami Fruit team harvests fruit from local farms here in South Florida, including our own farm. They also import some fruits to sell online.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Banana, mamey, lychee, longan, abiu, ice cream bean, mango, sapodillas, persimmon, coconut, jackfruit, atemoya, dragonfruit are some of their locally grown fruits. They also import some fruits.
WHERE TO BUY: Online for delivery year-round.
SHIPPING/DELIVERY? Yes
MORE INFO: Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Michael Borek Farms/Nana's Greene/Teena's Pride at a Glance

Farmer: Michael Borek
Where they’re located: Redland
Website:  Nana's Greene, Instagram @nanasgreenecsa
What they grow: Famous heirloom tomatoes, greens, eggplant, cut flowers, tropical fruits, more. For the CSA (Teena's Pride), a large variety of greens and root vegetables
Where they sell: CSA, events and at their farm on weekends during growing season
CSA: Yes

Mr. Green Dean's at a Glance

Farmer: Dean Richardson
Where they’re located: Redland
Website: greendeansvegetablefarm.com
What they grow: Exotic edible vegetables like French sorrel, katuk, garlic chives, Vietnamese spinach, Malabar spinach
Where they sell: Contact them for information.
CSA: No

“When I originally got into vegetable farming, I decided that I didn’t want to follow the herd and grow what everybody else was growing. I spent several weeks going through seed catalogs looking for unusual varieties of greens and other vegetables that looked like they might have a chance to grow here. The only real requirement is that they had to taste good and be relatively unknown. When I showed my proposed planting list to my mentors, they told me I was crazy and I would never sell that stuff. Of course I proceeded on my path, knowing that I would have to buck the trends and develop a much more aggressive marketing strategy in order to educate the market. I also knew that I would have to come up with recipes to go along with everything that I sell.” Richardson also incorporates Caribbean crops that grow during the summer.

How he farms: He does not grow anything in dirt or soil or in-ground. “Everything is grown on raised tables and in raised ground beds filled with a mixture of potting soil, compost and perlite for aeration. The raised tables are covered by plastic hoop houses, and I have computerized irrigation on each of them allowing me to individually water each table. The same type of system waters the ground beds.” While he’s not certified organic, he uses only organic methods and OMRI-approved chemicals like neem, soap and Botanigard. Everything starts as a seed in a plug tray.”

What he grows: French sorrel, garlic chives, Egyptian spinach, katuk, mojito mint, basil, wild arugula, carrots, beets, pak choi, Swiss chard, kale, long beans, radishes, herbs, mustard greens, tomatoes, among others. All is freshly harvested before the market. “Our goal during harvesting is to cut, clean, weigh, bag and have it in the cooler within 30 minutes of the initial cut,” he says. “I can confidently tell my customers that if they follow my instructions, my greens will last for up to three weeks in the fridge.”

Where to find him: Make an appointment and visit the farm, located near Larry and Penny Thompson Park in West Perrine. It’s open Mon.–Fri. 8am-4pm. He also sells to foragers and some local restaurants. 

Find papaya: Papaya grows year-round in South Florida but is most plentiful in the summer. Find in farmers markets and roadside stands.

Find passionfruit: Look for fruits in farmers markets and roadside stands from May through February. Frozen passionfruit pulp is sold in grocery stores year-round.

Possum Trot at a Glance

Farmer: Robert Barnum
Where they’re located: Redland
What they grow: Over 400 tropical trees with economic importance
Where they sell:  Wholesale, at farmers markets, part of CSA

Mango (Mangifera indica) is tropical fruit royalty in South Florida, where hundreds of varieties of mangos grow – backyard favorites like Kent, Haden and Glenn, and beloved mangos from India (Alphonse, Mallika), Southeast Asia (Nam Doc Mai), the Caribbean (Julie, Graham), Mexico (Ataulfo) and Central America (Fairchild). Mangos can be ripe when green, yellow, orange or red; as small as pears or as large as footballs; sweet, tart and juicy; and taste of pineapple, coconut, lemon or peach. The best have buttery smooth flesh free of stringy fibers. To store, peel and cut into chunks or slices, and freeze in zip-top bags. Dehydrated mangos are a delicious snack.

Find mangos: In season from late April through September, mangos are the stars of summer farmers markets, fruit stands and backyard gardens. The Fruit & Spice Park is home to the Redland Summer Fruit Festival in June, followed a week later by Mango Mania, a total immersion mango event. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden hosts the International Mango and Tropical Fruit Festival every July. From May through August (or until supplies run out), Mango Men Homestead sell rare varieties from their mango orchard. In Miami Beach, the South Beach Mango Festival debuted Aug. 5 at Lummus Park.

OPEN: Year-round 8am-7pm. They also sell their produce at the Redland Market Village and Yellow Green Farmers Market.
THE STORY: Find fresh produce – strawberries in season, vegetables, tropical fruits, cut flowers, plants, coco frio. Not everything is local.

HOURS AND TIMES: Sundays from 9am-2pm. The market is expected to reopen for the season Nov. 15.

In this corner of the new Citadel food hall, it’s grab-and-go, Italian-style: handy cones heaped with wedges of pink mortadella and salame, rustic breadsticks, a couple of chunks of Parmigiano and an olive or two. Or pick up panini, a salad with fresh mozzarella, a San Pellegrino aranciata. The prices are fair – panini start at $4.50 – and the products are as Italian as the Vespa Mauro Bortignon drives around town. Originally from Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto, Bortignon has assembled an easy menu with options like a charcuterie board, perfect for a group of friends hanging out at this Little River hotspot.

Latin, Cuban, Caribbean, Café • $ • 305.361.9009

Japanese, Thai, Asian, Vegetarian Friendly • $$ • 305. 365.1260

Lebanese, Mediterranean, Vegetarian Friendly • $ • 786.762.2561

The offerings: Six sauces – Umami, Spicy Mustard, Hot Red Sauce, Hot Green Sauce, La Bomba and Hot Ketchup. The most popular is the reserve special and green pepper madness ($8.99 per bottle and also sold in several set sizes).
The story: In 2009, Carline Phanor started making hot sauces at home from peppers she grew in her backyard. “My friends loved them so much when they came for dinner and encouraged me to sell it,” she says. Phanor, who lived in New York and Haiti before moving to Miami in 1991, uses habanero, scotch bonnets and fatalii peppers plus apple cider vinegar and spices in her recipes. “The combo of peppers is extremely flavorful,” she says.
How to use: The green pepper is good on sandwiches and wraps and in soups, and the red one is great for marinating meat and fish.
Where to buy: At Bravo and Presidente grocery stores, Broward Meat and Fish, Food Fair, Food Town, Norman Brothers and Joanna’s Marketplace and others.

The food: Sushi Yasu Tanaka, nigiri-focused Japanese cuisine; Chévre Miami French cuisine; Atomica Peruvian Flavors; Jaffa Miami Mediterranean cuisine; Sardomare Pasta Bar; Yacchan by Masumura Japanese street food; Hot Lime craft tacos and ceviche; Attiko Gastro Pub taste of Latin American cuisine; Chick & Smash smash burgers; MIA Market Bar; Sabal Coffee; Plants & Bowls healthy juice bar..

The scene: Laid-back and welcoming vibe in a second-floor space with lots of natural light and a central cocktail bar, plus an outdoor patio with swings.  

What else? Parking is easy, on the street, or in the nearby Palm Court garage. Open Sun-Thur noon-8pm, Fri-Sat noon-11pm

The offerings: Mojo Verde and Mojo Rojo ($9.99 per bottle)
The story: Husband and wife owners Danny and Rosa Figueredo, who opened Sanguich in 2015, introduced the vinegar-and-pepper sauces for their Cuban sandwiches and croquetas. “We’re sauce people, and we wanted to include all the ingredients of our culture,” said Danny. The verde is shelf stable and with no dairy and is “a real sauce something people can dip food into,” he says. Mojo Verde is made from roasted green bell pepper, garlic, parsley, cilantro, vinegar, crushed red pepper and lime juice; Mojo Rojo, popular for steaks, uses roasted red bell peppers, garlic, tomato, onion, jalapeño and spices. They also sell housemade mustard, Garlic Cilantro Aioli, Original Mojo and Mojo Dill Pickles sauces. How to use: Dip Cuban sandwiches, croquetas and picadas like plantain fries and light-as-air chicharrones into their mojo sauces.
Where to buy: At Sanguich in Little Havana or buy online.

Founder Kenemo Williams has created lemonade and natural fruit mixers for cocktails and mocktails, available at festivals and events like Folk Life Fridays in Overtown.

AT A GLANCE: New from The Market Company, you'll find fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, artisan fare, cheeses, plants and hand-crafted goods.

Hours and season: Sundays, 9am to 2pm year-round.

Hours and season: Sundays 9am-6:30pm, year-round

At a glance: Located at the Normandy Isle Fountain, this market features local and organic produce, honey, specialty foods, French pastries, orchids and flowers and plants.

Hours and season: Saturdays 9am-5pm, year-round

At a glance: In South Beach's Triangle Park, this market features artisan breads and pastries in addition to produce and other specialty foods.

Hours and season: Saturdays 9am-2pm

Date and time: Saturdays 9am-5pm

Hours and season: Saturdays 9am-1pm

Hours and season: Saturdays 10am-3pm, Oct. 23- Mar. 5

Hours and season: Saturdays 9am-2pm, year-round. Closed since March because of COVID-19, the market is awaiting city approval to reopen.

Date and time: Sundays from 9am-2pm

Hours and season: Saturdays 11am-6pm

Date and time: Sundays 10am-4pm

Date and time: Saturdays 8am-3:30pm

Saturday 8am-3:30pm

Dates and hours for 2020-2021: Sundays 9-noon Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Dec.20, Jan. 3, Jan. 24, Feb. 7, Feb. 21, Mar. 7, Mar. 21, April 11, April 25

Date and time: Thursdays 4-9pm

Dates and times: Saturdays and Sundays during mall hours

Hours and season: Thursdays 4pm-9pm year-round.

At a glance: This market takes over part of the parking lot market every Thursday evening, with vendors for local produce, prepared foods and artisan fare.

Hours and season: Thursdays 4pm-9pm, year-round

Hours and season: Sundays 9am-2pm, year-round

Hours and season: Saturdays 8am-2pm, year-round

Hours and season: Second and fourth Saturdays of the month starting Nov. 13, 9am-2pm

Hours and season: Saturdays 9am-2pm, Nov.-April. 

Dates and times: Tuesdays from 10am-3pm

Over 3,500 square feet of production space, storage and coworking space. Miami Kitchen Incubator offers food start-ups a fully developed platform of support. Locations in Doral and Coral Gables.

Argentinean, Italian, Grill, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free • $$ • 305.646.1001

Look for the bicycle parked in front of this little store off Bird Rd. and SW 67 Ave. They offer a selection of prepared foods and Italian foods – biscotti, pasta, prosciutto, salumi, cheese, coffee and other pantry items.

Pizza, Pasta • 786.395.4802

One of the first Neapolitan pizza places in South Florida, Pummarola – dialect for “tomato – was named after founder Larry Mele’s grandmother’s pizza and pasta restaurant in his native Naples. One of seven brothers, Mele came to the U.S. in 2002 with a culinary degree. After working at Escopazzo and Fratelli la Bufala in Miami Beach, Mele partnered with one of his brothers to create their Neapolitan pizzeria, opening locations in Boca Raton and Coral Gables, the new Midtown and The Falls. Homage to their nonna extends to the Fiat 500s inside each of their locations, explains Mele: “She drove a bright red Fiat to pick up ingredients. We rescue old Fiats from Italian junkyards for the restaurants.” Along with the approved mixers, pizza ovens, flour and tomatoes, their pizzamakers are imported from Italy, too. Their secret to success? “Very simple, good quality, lowest price,” he says.   

Also locations in Boca Raton, Midtown, The Falls (coming soon)

Authentic Italian • $$$ • 305.361.6252

Italian, Seafood, Vegan Options • $$$ • 305.456.0480

For Marco Zanna, the health benefits are as important as flavor in the extra-virgin olive oil he imports from the Gentili family in the medieval town of Farnese near Tuscany. “Extra-virgin olive oil is the most digestible of the edible fats and is also filled with antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients,” says the  native of Rome. He enjoys taking customers on a tasting tour of Italy through his products, including white truffle olive oil from Molise, balsamic vinegar – including the coveted traditional varieties – from Modena and Lagano pasta from Rome. Find him at farmers markets at Merrick Park in Coral Gables on Sundays, the Key Biscayne market on Saturdays and the Aventura market. His olive oil is also available at the Golden Hog on Key Biscayne and Laurenzo’s in North Miami Beach. You can also shop online.

Launching in 2019, Muz Muz will sell hemp-infused “Banana Buddies” in a retail shop. Follow their website for details. 

CSA Info

Farm location: Homestead
Offerings: Small share (feeds 1-2), $28.50/wk; medium share (feeds 2-3) $38.50/wk and large share (feeds 3+) $47/wk; payment plans include payment in full, two payments and monthly.
Dropoff points: Pickup locations: Whole Foods Markets (Wednesday), Wolfe’s Wines Coral Gables (Thursday), Sunset Corners (Thursday), Cafe Avanti, Miami Beach (Wednesday) and the farm (Wednesday).
SNAP/EBT: No
CSA season: Nov. 1-May 30
When to sign up: Anytime. Deliveries begin Nov.-May, but you can join any time with pro-rated rates.
Sign up here: Nana Greene/Teena's Pride

CSA Info

Neighborhood/County/City: Miami-Dade
Region for dropoff/pickup: At the farm
Location of farm: Northwest Miami-Dade
Contact information: (305) 759-0002
Open Season/months: year-round
Open hours: Contact the office

Don't miss: Charcoal soft-serve topped with freshly shaved coconut.

They use herbs from their backyard along with essential oils and herbs to make soaps, body scrubs and mosquito repellents. Maldonado and Reyes sell their products at the farmers markets and special events, and that’s enough to keep them busy. “We like to do our products in small batches,” says Maldonado. “We love what we do and enjoy offering a natural product that can benefit others.” They’re at the Southwest Community Farmers Market at Tropical Park every Saturday, and at special events at Fruit and Spice Park, Cauley Square and local schools.

When Mike and Torri Taunton discovered they had neem trees growing in their Homestead backyard, he made soap and she made hair care products and lotion in their kitchen. “All the benefits of neem are overwhelming,” Torri says. Their soap is made with neem leaves, aloe vera, ginger and turmeric, all grown on their property; lotions use neem tincture made with neem leaves and vegetable glycerin; and shampoos for people and pets include argan oil. Find them at the Redland Country Market.   

Recipes We Can't Wait to Try: Route 27 Turkey Neck Tamales, Tea-Spiced Cast-Iron Spotted Sea Trout with capers, cucumbers, mangos and brown butter; Allspice Dram (made from our post-Hurricane Irma harvest)

Norman Van Aken's Florida Kitchen

Recipes We Can't Wait to Try: Cuban-Style Wild Hot Pepper Vinegar, Zafra Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Refried Beans on Chipotle-Vanilla Sauce

Steakhouse, Argentinean, Latin, Gluten Free Options • $$ • 305.362.0900

The food: Chikin crispy Korean fried chicken or cauliflower steak; Buya dumplings, buns and rice bowls; Prince Street Pizza; Los Buenos tacos, burritos and quesadillas.

The scene: Live music and DJs in a spacious, lounge-y setting in Wynwood.

What else? Open Tues.-Thur. noon-2am, Fri.-Sat. noon-3am, Sun. noon-2am.

For most of South Florida, the de facto pork sandwich is pan con lechón – Cuban bread and roast pig seasoned with vinegary mojo and sliced onions, then pressed. In Italy, primarily in Rome, that sandwich is made with porchetta, boned pork stuffed with aromatics – rosemary, garlic, fennel, pepper (black and hot) and salt – then wrapped up in its skin and slow roasted until the outside is crackly and the meat is juicy.

After a visit from the late Anthony Bourdain for his show, The Layover, Rome native Alessandro Toglia decided to take his porchetta talents to the U.S. and share his version of Rome. From his food truck, wrapped in images of the coliseum, he greets visitors with a warm “Welcome to Rome.” On his all-Roman menu, which includes cacio e pepe and supplí (risotto balls filled with mozzarella), the porchetta sandwich gets star billing. Slices of succulently seasoned pork and chunks of crunchy skin are generously piled on crusty bread. Toglia adds a creamy onion jam, not so typically Italian. You can ask for vegetables – cooked peppers or bitter greens, and provolone. We wouldn’t dare weigh in on whether it’s tastier than pan con lechón. But it’s worth seeking out in the interest of expanding porky horizons.

Look on social media for Porchettoni food truck's whereabouts in Miami-Dade and Broward.

Farmers: Owner Karla Dascal, farmer Martina Gonzalez and others are on the team
Where they’re located: Redland
Website: Paradise Farms
What they grow: Avocado, longan, carambola, and other tropical fruits; moringa, holy basil and other herbs; 67 kinds of edible flowers; mushrooms; heirloom cultivars; vegetables, greens, roots and alliums.  Organic Certified since 1999. More recently in 2021 we acquired the Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). The farm is 17 acres of sacred space, with fertile land and elegant features to gather.
Where they sell: Legion Park and Key Biscayne farmers market (Saturdays), via their CSA. They also supply South Florida restaurants.
CSA: Yes, organic produce. Sign up here
Farm tours: Two-hour walking tours ($50) of their farm and mushroom facility include hands-on activity, refreshment made with farm ingredients, time to shop for fresh produce at their stand. 2024 dates are Dec. 17, Jan. 21. Feb. 18, Mar. 17. Group tours also available.

One of South Florida’s first organic farms under Gabriele Marewski, this five-acre property in the Redland broke ground in many aspects. They hosted farm-to-table dinners prepared by local chefs on site, grew mushrooms and produce for chefs, markets and CSAs, and created a uniquely serene space for visitors. Now in the hands of event designer Karla Dascal, Paradise Farms aims to carry on Marewski’s vision, incorporating regenerative farming practices and sustainability principles and keep the growing going, emphasizing nutrient-dense, delicious and healing harvests. “It’s about medicine,” says Dascal. “That’s what this planet is going to need.”

HOW THEY STARTED: In 2017 we had just completed The Sacred Space and wondered what had happened to Paradise Farms. It was under contract, but we met there anyway in a teepee on a cold March day – I was wearing a black and white flannel shirt. We took a tour, they fed me only organic foods … how perfect would this be? The contract fell through. I was in love with this magical property.

THEIR PHILOSOPHY: We are certified organic by Quality Certification Services from Gainesville. As conscious and vegetarian farmers, we do not allow any meat or meat products on the ground, and we are a smoke-free facility. Our philosophy and ingredients are simple: natural, organic elements, love and intention. Every process and crop is seen and touched by us – from every weed pulled, each seed sown, and the harvest of our crops. We proudly provide our organic crops to renowned restaurants and chefs in the Miami area and beyond, directly from our farm, as well as supplying the Met International School Miami’s garden-to-table curriculum and organic lunch program. As conscious and vegetarian farmers, we do not allow any meat or meat products on the ground, and we are a smoke-free facility.

WHAT ELSE? Everyone here makes over $15 an hour. Everyone is really valuable and committed. We are continuing with agritourism. We’re going to bring back the dinners. The Sacred Space brand is about healing food and education.

SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION: Our tree houses use solar power. In our pond with koi, their waste goes into compost and irrigates the garden. There’s zero waste – we dehydrate mushrooms and flowers. Not a flower goes to waste!

CSA Info

Farm location: Homestead
Pickup points: Tues.: Paradise Farms, Homestead (1-4pm); Verde Market S. Miami (3-7pm); Dr. Hotchrner’s office (2-4pm); Verde Market Wynwood (4-7pm); Wed.: Vitality Health & Wellness (noon-4pm); The Well, (1-5pm); Southwest Ranches Farmers Market (1-5pm); Verde Market Oakland Park (2pm-7pm).
Delivery: Tuesdays: Miami-Dade County $30/week ($390 per season); Wednesdays: in Broward $50/week ($650 per season)
SNAP/EBT: No
CSA season: Winter membership: Weekly box from Dec. 5 through Jan. 28, 2025. Spring: Feb. 4-April 29. 13 weekly boxes and each box is good for 2-4 people as it contains 10-12 items.
When to sign up: Now
Sign up here: Paradise Farms

CSA Info

Neighborhood/County/City: Miami-Dade
Region for CSA dropoff/pickup: Saturday: Southwest Community Farmers Market at Tropical Park; Sunday at the farm
Location of farm: Homestead
CSA Open Season/months: Nov. through mid-April
Open hours: Various
Contact information: producepantryfarm (AT) gmail.com

Learn to speak Italian, explore Italian culture, spend an evening learning to cook an Italian feast. Located in Coral Gables, this chapter of this international cultural society hosts a range of events that will enrich your understanding of all things Italian.

Argentinean gourmet market • $$ • 305.361.0662

Owned by a local family, Physicians Preferred grows hemp at their farm in Colorado and turns raw material into oils, which are shipped to South Florida for final processing. They sell their non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free CBD to food vendors like Courtney’s Cookies, Angry Booch, Pamela Wasabi and Native Guy Honey and have appeared on the cocktail menu at Plant Miami and the tea menu at Ikon Miami. Physicians Preferred sells CBD topical creams and tinctures, including specific blends for joint and menstrual relief, sleep aids and pet-strength oils. Find online or at Mima Market in Miami Shores and at farmers markets in Coconut Grove and Legion Park (Saturdays)

West Paw Design’s Bumper Beds for cats and dogs are stuffed with IntelliLoft, an eco-fiber made completely from recycled plastic. The Bozeman, Montana-based company says it has diverted 12.6 million bottles from the landfill since introducing this polyfill. Cover fabrics are removable and machine washable. Available at SEB Mattresses in Coconut Grove.

TREES ONLY*
*They do offer the fruit from their groves for sale and for sample here at the nursery, but do not ship fruit.
Longtime supplier of a wide variety of tropical fruit, nut, and spice trees. The nursery serves commercial fruit growers, landscapers, garden centers and the public directly. Their primary market is Florida, but we hold the necessary certifications to ship plants to all 50 states and Canada.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Avocado, dragon fruit, lychee, mango, sapodilla, abiu, akee, allspice, araza, atemoya, banana, bilimbi, black sapote, blackberry, blueberry, breadfruit, caimito, canistel, carambola, cashew nut, cacao, coffee, fig, muscadine grape, green sapote, guava, jaboticaba, jackfruit, jujube, june plum, longan, loquat, malay apple, mamey sapote, mammee apple, miracle fruit, mombin, mulberry, noni, papaya, passion fruit, peach, pineapple, pomegranate, red custard apple, ross sapote, soursop, Spanish lime, sugar apple, tamarind, tea, wax jambu, white sapote.
WHERE TO BUY: At their nursery, 16300 SW 184th Street, Miami. Open Mon.-Fri. 8am-4:30pm, Sat. 9am-3pm
SHIPPING/DELIVERY: Local delivery and shipping outside of Florida available.
MORE INFO: Their website includes a viewer showing different varieties of mango, avocado, sapodilla, lychee and dragon fruit, as well as their comprehensive offerings.

TREES ONLY
Founded in 1975, the nonprofit Rare Fruit & Vegetable Council of Broward County is dedicated to educating members and the public about the methods for growing and propagating rare tropical fruits and vegetables and introducing the local community to new species of rare fruits and vegetables with promising nutritional values.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Avocado, bananas, Barbados cherry, bilimbi, blackberry, canistel, carambola, cashew nut, figs, gogiberry, grumichana, guava, ice cream bean, jackfruit, jaboticaba. jujube, loquat, longan, lychee, malabar chestnut mamey sapote, mango, miracle fruit, moringa, mulberry, pitaya, passion fruit, persimmon, pomegranate, raspberry, sapodilla, soursop, sugar apple, tamarind, wax jambu, white sapote, akee, allspice, cacao, caimito, custard apple, green sapote, noni, pandan, papaya, pineapple, pitomba, plus local honey, baked goods, jellies, fertilizer.
WHERE TO BUY: At two plant sales open to members and non-members, typically in spring and fall. Members have access to their facility and may purchase from a full selection of cultivars, starts and seedlings throughout the year during member plant sales. They also enjoy first access to educational workshops and field trips, monthly meetings with educational speakers and a regular e-newsletter.
SHIPPING/DELIVERY? No
MORE INFO: Visit their Facebook page.

Welcome to Ready-to-Grow Gardens!  We are an edible garden company that helps others grow organic vegetables, herbs and fruits all year in Miami and South Florida.

We help others grow produce as locally as possible by designing, installing and maintaining edible gardens for homes, schools, businesses, and communities.  We specialize in raised bed gardens and food forests.

TREES ONLY
WHAT THEY CARRY: They grow, sell and plant tropical fruit trees and many other edible plants. These include abiu, ackee, allspice, avocado, atemoya, banana, Barbados cherry, blackberry, black sapote, breadfruit, canistel, carambola, cashew, coffee, custard apple, dragon fruit, guanabana, guava, jaboticaba, jackfruit, longan, loquat, lychee, mamey sapote, mango, mulberry, passionfruit, peach, pineapple, sapodilla, sugar apple, caimito, white sapote. Dylan also offers expert planting advice, supplies and other services.
WHERE TO BUY: At their West Dade nursery but make an appointment.
SHIPPING/DELIVERY? Yes, with $50 fee for Miami-Dade, $75 for Broward
MORE INFO: Tours are available by appointment ($50 minimum purchase commitment). Follow their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Joe Cardenas changed careers in his mid-30s when his job in banking had lost its luster and he was looking for a challenge. “What industries in Florida are young? What industry do I want to invest in that’s a challenge?” Aquaculture got his attention and he spent nine months researching the business. “We’re surrounded by salt water,” he says. “That’s the biggest potential here,” he says. He looked for a product where there wouldn’t be huge competition and landed the Florida pompano, a native fish that migrates annually from Florida to the Northeast United States.

Market analysis showed that seafood distributors and chefs want a tasty, 1-¼-pound fish that they can get consistently, not just seasonally. Pompano fit the bill. “People like a whole fish,” Cardenas says. “Here, we could raise the perfect plate-sized fish. We don’t have to filet and process it. We can harvest it in the morning and deliver in within 24 hours.” A member of the jack family, pompano is a fattier fish with buttery undertones, a rich taste, a small flake and a sweet, mild flavor. Chefs will pan-fry it, sear it or grill it –  it doesn’t have scales. Once you crisp the skin, it’s delicious.”

Pompano made business sense, too. Raising it from egg to harvest weight takes just nine months. Unlike grouper or snapper – “all head” – pompano provide a good yield, and the farm could control their size at harvest, spending less on feed. They could also create a year-round alternative source to commercial pompano fishing with no impact on wild populations.

Cardenas found a piece of land in Fort Pierce to set up the recirculating aquaculture facility. After two years, they “learned the recipe for this species” and added bigger capacity tanks. Today, they are harvesting weekly, selling both wholesale and retail.

“One of our biggest selling points is how fresh it is,” he says. “Most commercial fishermen go out for a week or two, so wild-caught fish might be in the cooler for a week. In land-based aquaculture, fish are harvested on Monday and shipped the next day.” Because of U.S. and Florida regulations, consumers know they’re getting safe, clean seafood. “The Florida Division of Aquaculture wants to know where our water is coming from and where’s it’s going. That’s not the case elsewhere in the world. Our water quality is better than the ocean – there are no plastics.”

Because of that focus on the environment, Cardenas says farmed fish is safe when consumers focus on its origin. “When people wonder about domestic vs. imported farming, make sure it’s domestic.”

“Curated” has become a bit of a cliche when used to describe a food artisan’s discerning choices, but it’s a fitting description for the selection of products offered by local butchers and sausage makers Freddy and Danielle Kaufmann. Their meat and poultry comes from local sustainable farms, they use locally grown produce when possible, and complementary condiments are sold and used in their sandwiches, listed on their chalkboard menu.

One of those menu standouts is their pulled pork sandwich with pikliz. Berkshire pork shoulder is dry rubbed and slow roasted. The porky shreds are piled onto a Portuguese muffin, a sturdy bun that’s a cross between an English muffin and a bagel. It’s topped generously with pikliz, the vinegary, quick-pickled Haitian slaw that’s crunchy with carrots and onions. Habanero peppers provide the heat that cuts through the rich pork. It’s a so-Miami combo that makes perfect sense.